Varun Dhawan’s ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ sued for Rs 400 cr by Vashu Bhagnani

After a public fallout, producer Vashu Bhagnani and Pooja Entertainment have taken legal action against the makers of Varun Dhawan’s upcoming film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, putting its June 5 release at risk. The case has been filed in the Bombay High Court against Tips Industries Limited, Ramesh Taurani, Kumar S Taurani, and filmmaker David Dhawan over the alleged unauthorised use of songs from the 1999 hit film Biwi No 1.

Pooja Entertainment claims that the film’s team failed to complete the required legal formalities to use the songs “Chunnari Chunnari” and “Ishq Sona Hai” in the movie and its promotions. The company has requested the court to stop the release, distribution, streaming, exhibition, and commercial exploitation of the film until the issue is resolved. It has also demanded that all promotional material featuring the disputed songs be removed immediately.

According to Bhagnani’s legal team, the dispute revolves around music and visual rights connected to the songs. Advocate V K Dubey Associates stated that while earlier agreements with Tips Industries only covered audio rights, visual rights were never properly settled. The lawyer revealed that in 2018, Tips had approached Pooja Entertainment through email seeking visual rights for the songs, but discussions between both parties did not lead to any agreement.

The lawsuit reportedly includes a Rs 400 crore claim against Tips Music Company. In addition, Pooja Entertainment is demanding Rs 100 crore in damages if the songs continue to be used without meeting their conditions. The company has also objected to the title Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, arguing that it is inspired by the song “Ishq Sona Hai” from Biwi No 1, and has asked the court to direct the filmmakers to change the title.

The legal battle has intensified concerns over the film’s scheduled release, with the Bombay High Court now expected to decide whether the movie can proceed as planned. (Agencies)

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